Ingot mold



Sept. 9, 1930. E, 1 RAMSEY ET AL 1,775,473

` INGOT MOLD Filed April 26, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l .y It "By Sept; 9, 1930, E. L. RAMSEY Er AL INGOT MOLD Filed April 26, 19% 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 9, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWIN L. RAMSEY'AND JOHN SULLIVLAN, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS v .INGOT MOLD Application filed April 26, 1926. Serial No. 104,517.

`r1`he present invention relates broadly to the art of metal molding and more particularly toimproved molds adapted to be used in the production of ingots.

' 5 Heretofore in the art to which the present invention relates considerable diiiculty hasv been experienced in the casting of vingots due to the cavities or pipes formed thereinand not infrequently extending throughout the major portion of the length of the ingots. In order to decrease the tendency of the metal to solidify under such conditions that a pipe or cavity is formed in the resulting ingot, eiforts have been made to expedite y cooling of the lower portion of the ingot and retard cooling of the upper portions. Many different forms of molds have been utilized more or less successfully in vthis connection, but in the majority of cases recourse has been mi had to the use of hot tops or feeders of suitable nature tending to cut down heat dissi," pation and rate lof metal solidiication in the upper portion of the mold. In some cases it has beenattempted to ob- 25 tain the results desired by forming pockets or cavities in the side Walls adjacent the upper end of the mold, and then filling such pockets with suitable non-conducting material such as calcined lime. y`While some ad- 90 vantages may flow 'from such astructure,

l they are not sufficient to solve the problem. It has also Ybeen proposed to construct the lupper portionof an ingot mold of relatively thin metal and substantiall enclose such end by a refractory cover or unnel. Ilhe thin upper end being unprotected and not supported against distortion, has caused considerable diliculty. Attempts have been made to overcome such diiculties by providing the 40 upper end of the mold with an annular recess. While this construction has had the advan' tages of uniform insulation, not possible with the individual pockets, and of partial lprotection to the thin inner Wall, the structure has not been so desirable as to produce any very extended use thereof.

' The present inventionhas for certain of its i objects the obviating of the objections enu- Inerated, by a combination of the various fea- -heat radiation from the upper portion of the mold, protect and support the upper portion against distortion, and insure uniform and endeavoring to obtain the results possible by the use of a mold as hereinafter more fully described, We found that. by using molds having approximately fifty per cent.' insulation for a distance of fourteen inches, for example, the pipe or cavity extended nineteen inchesvvithin the ingot. By increasing the length of the insulated portion to sixteen' inches and insuring seventy-five per cent. insulation, the pipe or cavitywas reducedv to fourteen inches, while by merely adding tvventy-ive per cent. more insulation the depth of the cavity was decreased five inches, or nearly thirty-six per cent. It is one of the objects of the present invention, therefore, (toobtain insulation which is both as colnplete and as uniform for the upper end of the mold as possibie.

`We have also found thatl it is desirable to support the upper end of the ingot mold to prevent distortion thereof, due to the heat of the metal being cast therein.` This is not possible bythe use of aneck of reduced thickness, or by the use alone of an annular recess. This invention, therefore, contemplates a structure in which the length of life compares favorably with standard molds and in which the results are much improved. y

In the accompanying drawings, there are shown for purposes of illustrationonly certain preferredembodiments of the present invention, it being understood that the draw-- ings donot define the limits of our invention, as changes in the construction and operation dlsclosed therein may be'made without departing either from the spirit of the present j invention or the scope of our broader claims.

In the drawings: Figure l shows one manner of effectively protecting andsupporting the upper portion -the invention, 5 tures under such conditions as to cut down Figure 3 is a view similar to Figures l and complete insulation of the upper portion. In

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2, but showing still another embodiment of the invention, l

Figure l is a side elevational view, partly broken away and partly in section, and illustrating another embodiment of the invention,

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure l but illustrating the invention applied to a niold of slightly different characteristics, and

Figure 6 is a top plan View `of a mold as shown in either Figures 4 or 5.

In carrying out the present invention there may be provided a mold of any desired configuration and constructed in accordance with known methods to provide either a mold of the big-end-up or of the big-end-down type. T he contour of the mold cavity, and the character of the `mold walls, may be varied as dcsired and as well understood in the art at the present time.

In Figure 4 of the drawings, there is illustrated an ingot mold 2, of the big-end-down type, having a mold cavity 3 of any desired contour. preferably formed with an annular recess or opening 5 extending continuously around the cavity so as to provide uniform conditions Within the zone of the upper portion of the cavity embraced by the recess. In order to accommodate such recess, the wall of the ingot mold adjacent the upper portion may be of slightly increased thickness as clearly indicated in the drawings. n

The recess 5 provides an inner shell 6 which is relatively thin, and which, due to its light mass, does not tend to quickly chill the molten metal in the mold. In contact with the metal it becomes heated to a comparatively high temperature, as contrasted to a thick wall such as used for the remainder of the mold, and thereby assists in maintaining the body of metal in the upper portion ofthe niold in lmolten condition whereby it is available to feed the shinkage of the metal in the lower portion and thus prevent the .formation of a pipe or cavity. The provision of the recess also serves to materially reduce the radiation from the upper portion vof the ingot, and thereby further assists in maintaining the temperature conditions desired.

We are aware that it has heretofore been' proposed to construct ingot molds in which the upper portion of the mold has a' relatively thin wall, but so far as we are aware, no effective means has heretofore been provided for preventing distortion of such relatively' i may be provided with openings 8 predeter- 'Ihe upper portion i of the mold is e minately located and serving as core openings during the manufacture of the ingot.

The continuously extending annular recess not only provides for uniform insulation throughout theperiphery of the upper portion of the ingot, whereby desirable results are obtained as hereinbefore set forth, but it makes possible, by reason of the outer wall and the connecting ribs, the use of a thin body of metal adapted to become highly heated during the formation of an ingot.

In casting ingot molds of the type here described, a mold core fills the continuously extending recess. By allowing that core to remain in the finished ingot mold an insulating band surrounds the thin inner v all at the top of the ingot mold, reducing the radiation of heat from said wall when ingots are poured, and affording additional re-enforcement for the wall. Desirable replacement of that insulating band by another of refractory material packed in the recess is accomplished through the'corc openings 8.

In Figure 5 of the drawings there is indicated a mold structure similar to that shown l.those heretofore used but having a prime affixed thereto,the drawing being more particularly for the purpose of illustrating the adaptability of the invention to molds of different constructions.

In Figure 6 of the drawings there is illustrated a mold having a continuously extending recess providing a thin inner wall 16, this wall in the present case not being connected to the outer wall structure. A reinforcement ,is provided, however, by means of the re- 'portion of the inner. shell o'r wall 16 from erosion under the action of the hot metal it is desirable to provide protecting means co-operating therewith. In Figure 2 of the drawings there is illustrated a hot top 17 having a depending portion 18 adapted to extend within the mold a predetermined distance and protect the inner wall against the action of the molten metal.

In still other cases it has been found desirable to provide for the complete protection of the inner wall 16, and in such cases the hot top may be formed with an inner portion 18 of a length such as to completely shield the inner thin wall portion.

It will be understood that the hot tops utilized in accordance with Figures l, 2. and 3 of the drawings may be of known' construction and composition, the utilityI of the invention not being limited to a hot top of any particularcharacteristics. We have found, however, that very desirable results are obtained by the use of one-piece hot tops which may be bodily slipped into position and which are sufficiently compact to provide the reinw 'forcement desired to prevent distortion.

Certain advantages of the present invention arise from the provision of an ingot mold having the upper portion uniformly insulated cto minimize the heat radiation, and in which'the construction is such as to provide a thin inner wall effectively maintained against distortion.

Other objects of the present invention arise from the provision of an ingot mold in corn-V ;w bination with a bodily removable hot top which co-operates with a continuously extending recess, and in which the mold is constructed to protect that portion of the hot top which projects into the recess.

ns Still other advantages of the invention Y arise from the provision of' an ingot mold having an upper portion of relatively thin.

metal with means for 'protecting such portion from the action of the molten metal.

3o e claim:

bifurcated upperportion, and a bifurcated hot top cooperating therewith with one portion of the hot top between the portions of the mold and one porion of the mold between the portions ofthe hot top.

8. In combination, an ingot mold having a bifurcated upper portion, and a bifurcated hot top cooperating therewith with one por tion of the hot top between the portions of the mold and one portion of the mold. between the portions of the hot top and bodily remov- -able therefrom.

In testimony whereof we affix our signai 1. In combination, an ingot mold having at recess formed in the wall adjacent one end of the mold and providing a relatively thin inner Wall, and a bodily removable hot top $5 entering said recess and'engaging opposite sides otsaid relatively thin inner wall for; reinforcing the saine.

2. In combination, an ingot mold/having a continuously extending recess adjacent one end providing an outer wall and a relatively thin inner wall, a hot top extending into said recess between said walls and over the upper edge of said inner Wall and thence downwardly into the cavity in the mold.

' having a recess in the upper end thereof, of protecting means comprising interconnected portions embracing and extending on oppo- 4inner wall and downwardly into the mold 4. The combination with an ingot xnold 3. The combination with an ingot mold V for cooperating with the inner side of said l relatively thin wall. l

5. In combination, an ingot mold having an upper end portion, and a bifurcated hot top straddling said portion.

6.' In combination, an ingot mold having a relatively thin upper end portion, and abiurcated hot top straddling said portion. 7. In combination, an ingot mold having a lll!) ian 

